Assistant Director, National Preparedness (1-year contract)

(This role will be hired under the Ministry of Health)

As the Senior Assistant Director/Assistant Director of National Preparedness in the Communicable Diseases Group in MOH and future the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA), you will lead and guide a dedicated team in formulating strategies and developing comprehensive policies and plans to anticipate, prevent, and respond to communicable disease outbreaks and epidemics. Your responsibilities will encompass forward planning, policy evaluation and response coordination to ensure a comprehensive and unified preparedness and response posture at the Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society level. This includes fostering collaboration with key sectoral partners to ensure effective response strategies, facilitate operational plan development and mitigate preparedness and response gaps.

Responsibilities:

Your key responsibilities will include the following:

• Strategic Planning: Develop and implement strategies and policies for disease preparedness including pandemic planning and response strategies
• Situational analysis: Synthesize information from a wide range of sources in a complex environment to provide rigorous analysis to guide decision-making and action
• Policy Development: Develop and advocate for policies and plans related to disease preparedness incorporating best practices to meet public health standards.
• Coordination and Collaboration: Collaborate with multi-sectoral agencies to ensure a coordinated and effective response to infectious disease threats. This includes engagement efforts and operationalization of pandemic preparedness strategies and plans.

Job Requirements:

• an Advanced degree in public health, epidemiology, infectious diseases, or equivalent or work experience in public health-related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in public health, infectious disease control, or emergency preparedness, with progressively increasing leadership responsibilities. Experience in pandemic planning and response highly desirable.
• Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams, build partnerships, and foster collaboration across diverse stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop long-term objectives and plans and translate them into actionable goals and objectives.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze situations and data, assess risks, and develop evidence-based recommendations. Demonstrate strong ability to breakdown complex issues, identify patterns and develop innovative solutions to address the challenges.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively communicate complex information to diverse audiences, including policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the public.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, demonstrating flexibility, resilience, and adaptability to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Commitment to upholding ethical standards, confidentiality, and professional integrity in all aspects of work.